“The absolutely lovely Isabel Leonard was the most effective of the evening as Ada, and she sounded and looked stunning. In fact, you’d almost mistake her for Scarlett O’Hara in one scene where she wore a emerald green sateen dress and floated majestically across the Academy stage. Ms. Leonard’s full range, both vocally and emotionally, was put to the test throughout the night, and she met the challenge with a relaxed air about her. In short, she’s the real deal and it shows.”

“Ott and Isabel Leonard’s beauteous Ada were aptly matched . . . Foglia drew even more elaborately detailed performances from the two principal cast members who remained in place: Leonard’s resilient mezzo . . . gave much more nuance to Ada’s text and was thus more moving.”

“With impressive lead performances by baritone Ott and mezzo-sopranos Leonard and Hall–who not only offer rich vocals, but also skilled acting in the development of their characters–Higdon’s discordant post-modern style evokes the dissonance of wartime and the violent clashes of its enemies. But her sweeping score, which recalls the pivotal work of Aaron Copland, is also interspersed with passages that pay homage to the traditional folk songs and instruments of Appalachia . . . heartfelt duets between Ott and Leonard; and hauntingly beautiful requiems, sung in Act I by a harmonic chorus of wounded men that questions of the casualties, “What were their names? Buried, Buried, Buried and forgotten. When will it end?”